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Bunbury shaken by Gammy scandal

Emma Partridge – In Bunbury

As fast as the beer flows from the taps of a corner pub in Bunbury, so too is the chatter about a convicted paedophile who brought an international scandal to the quiet port city, two hours south of Perth.

A group of men huddle around the bar and cradle their golden ales as they discuss whether there is still room for David John Farnell and his wife Wendy - the couple who allegedly abandoned a sick baby in Thailand and brought his healthy twin sister home.

The last time Bunbury made national headlines was when a toxic batch of chicken hospitalised several residents after they unwittingly ate hot chips smothered in caustic soda.

One of the men drinking at the Rose Hotel on Bunbury’s main drag was Mr Farnell’s neighbour, Evan Blechynden.

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He was shocked to learn a sick baby was said to be abandoned overseas but not fussed about Gammy’s biological parents returning home once the media circus cleared out of town.

“Well [it’s] not really worrying me. If he comes back tomorrow and he walks past I will just wave to him and just say hello like I normally do, that’s it,” Mr Blechynden said.

He knew Mr Farnell had a prior history of molesting children but had no idea of the extent until this week.

He said he helped Mr Farnell lay down lawn in his front yard when he first moved to Mossop Street and never thought about his past again – until he saw ABC’s 7.30 report.

“I asked the fella across the road if he knew about his past (prior to Gammy scandal) because he has got a small daughter as well and he thought ‘oh that’s not so bad.’ ”

“But now, he’s the same as me, we think it’s very bad,” he said.

Another local, Peter, said he was shocked to learn of Mr Farnell’s past 22 convictions, involving the assault of young children.

““Being an electrician, I’ve been saying how many homes has he been in? And you know, people are going to be sort of worried about,” he said.

More than two dozen 20 journalists and cameramen have camped outside the Farnell’s family home for the past week.

News crews were also parked outside Mr Farnell’s ex wife’s house and brother’s homes, only a couple of streets away.

But most reporters packed up their vans within minutes of learning the family would tell their side of the story to 60 Minutes, in return for a payment to a charity that would support baby Gammy.

Mr Farnell and his wife have been in hiding since Monday.

Late on Friday, Mr Farnell’s daughter Jane and son Joshua returned to the house to collect a few things for the couple before leaving five minutes later.